Gizmos & Gadgets: Creating Science Contraptions That Work (& Knowing Why) (Williamson Kids Can! Series) [Paperback]

Jill Frankel Hauser (Author), Michael Kline (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 8 and up | Grade Level: 3 and up | Series: Williamson Kids Can! Series

This title is suitable for ages 9 to 12 years. Build a catapult that sends marshmallows flying. Make a perching parrot that balances on a high wire. Send a marble on a wild ride down your room-sized marble ramp. Yes, have a great time constructing more than 50 working science contraptions, using easy-to-find materials. Children will be building, questioning, creating, laughing - and, learning - as they explore the action-packed world of physics fun through science contraptions that really work. This title is suitable for children aged 7 to 14.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-Hauser gives directions for making a bunch of gadgets, gizmos, contraptions, and doohickeys constructed with stuff often found in cupboards, closets, garages, and "junk" drawers. Materials such as plastic soda bottles, marbles, buttons, straws, and cardboard tubes are cut, trimmed, shaped, and bent in order to be glued, stapled, sewn, and taped. They are ultimately formed into objects to be tossed, balanced, spun, flung, and strung-all to demonstrate various principles of physics. Also included are nudges to encourage individual forays into the worlds of problem solving and inventing. Fun to make-and probably fun to play with-the crafts, if followed sequentially, introduce such basic topics as motion, energy, balancing, and gravity. Even if used as random crafts, they will lead to questions regarding the predictable behaviors of such objects as boomerangs and yo-yos. Classroom teachers can team this with Vicki Cobb's Why Can't You Unscramble an Egg? (Lodestar, 1990; o.p.) and Bernie Zubrowski's Raceways: Having Fun with Balls and Tracks (Morrow, 1985; o.p.).
Patricia Manning, formerly at Eastchester Public Library, NY
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Using simple household items to create toys that spin, fling, collide, and whiz, kids will grasp the basics of concepts of gravity, inertia, balance, and energy. Projects are very hands-on. Most activities can be completed with minimal assistance. Every page is jam-packed (in age-appropriate vocabulary) with factoids, fun facts about famous inventors, and inspiration for science lovers of all ages. A 1999 Parents' Choice® Silver Honor. (Parents' Choice®) -- From Parents' Choice

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
  
• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Williamson Pub (June 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1885593260
• ISBN-13: 978-1885593269
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 11 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #191,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #62 in Books > Children's Books > Science, Nature & How It Works > Physics

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars great book for scout leaders, May 22, 2000

By 

v. danz (ma) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gizmos & Gadgets: Creating Science Contraptions That Work (& Knowing Why) (Williamson Kids Can! Series) (Paperback)

gizmos and gadgets contains easy, readable information on scientific principles along with appropriate, fun, hands-on experiements. Makes for great reading for scout leaders, teachers or those who like to mess around at home with their kids. Good addition to any library.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Intro to Physics!, June 10, 2007

By 

z_mama5 (San Marcos, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Gizmos & Gadgets: Creating Science Contraptions That Work (& Knowing Why) (Williamson Kids Can! Series) (Paperback)

My nine year old son loves this book! It has some great projects to do (using easy-to-find materials) while also introducing famous scientists and scientific principles like the laws of motion. We were following the The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home, Revised and Updated Edition and found this book to be much better than the books it recommended for Physics.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for introducing physics., February 6, 2010

By 

Angela Proietti-Nelson (Penn Yan, NY) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Gizmos & Gadgets: Creating Science Contraptions That Work (& Knowing Why) (Williamson Kids Can! Series) (Paperback)

We homeschool our children, and use this book as our 1st and 3rd grade physics book. The experiments are simple, well explained, and can be done with supplies most people would have on hand.